Halloween is a favorite holiday of the San Francisco area and is celebrated with numerous masquerade balls, kids costume events, festivals and haunted houses. Area museums, including the Fisherman's Wharf Wax Museum and Alcatraz National Park and Museum, provide haunted Halloween tours. Halloween-themed movies are often shown as free outdoor events leading up to and on Halloween.
Alcatraz Prison Haunted Tours
The Alcatraz Prison, now a museum and national park is located in the middle of the San Francisco Bay on Alcatraz Island next to Angel Island. Originally a military prison when it was built in 1859, it was converted into a federal prison in 1933. Prison conditions were severe, and suicides and murders were common. According to the Haunted Houses website, manifestations and strange occurrences have taken place in the areas of the prison's "worst tragedies." For example, a bloody uprising happened in the Block C Utility Passageway in 1946, and park employees have heard loud, clanging noises in this passageway. When the door to the passageway was opened the noise stopped but started again once the door was closed. This is only one instance of a haunting at Alcatraz.
Halloween Costume Walk
The Halloween Costume Walk at Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco is a yearly Halloween event for families with children under 10 years old. Kids can enjoy interactive performances, live music and games while showing off their Halloween costumes.
Hook & Ladder Masquerade Ball
The Hook & Ladder Masquerade Ball is a yearly event in the Regency Center of San Francisco. The ball is inspired by a secret society that met on the top floor of 1290 Sutter St. in San Francisco long ago to discuss promoting ethics, tolerance, personal growth, family, freedom and philanthropy. The Hook & Ladder Masquerade Ball carries on this tradition of philanthropy by raising funds for burn victims and burn prevention education. The evening features both live and silent auctions, food and cocktails, dancing, mystery chest raffle prizes and surprises. A mask is required no matter your attire, whether black tie or Venetian costume.
Chamber of Horrors at the Wax Museum
The Wax Museum in Fisherman's Wharf includes a "Chamber of Horrors" that is sure to scare young and old. View grisly wax creations and famous monsters including Freddy Kruger, Dracula with his latest victim, the Crypt Keeper, Algerian Hook, Jason Voorhees of "Friday the 13th," Michael Myers, Frankenstein, Barry the Butcher, Beetlejuice, Iron Maiden and assorted grave robbers, tortured heads, mummies and werewolves.
San Francisco Halloween Festival
The San Francisco Halloween Festival came about when the City of San Francisco decided to create an official Halloween festival after 49 years of impromptu festivals in the Castro District. Live music, children and adult costume contests, pumpkin pie eating contests, dancing, Halloween movies, carnival rides, a video game pavilion and a haunted house make up this Halloween day of fun.
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